Who Gets What?

Jeff Lewis, with over 30 years as a professional opinion pollster, speaks about the practical uses of opinion polling in the current election cycle.  

Morton defends the right of a professor to say whatever he wants, no matter how obnoxious, in the context of private opinions.  A tweet is not a classroom, and a teacher should not be disciplined within the classroom for opinions expressed elsewhere.

Opening with the sounds of a kennel, this revealing conversation with Katie Kennepohl describes the operations and philosophies of Indianapolis Animal Care Services, of which she is Deputy Director. Here we discuss books, movies, adoptions, volunteers, the Parvo virus and a fact that surprised John and Morton:  more than 90% of the agency's pets are adopted.  

After 28 years as a public broadcasting leader, Greg Petrowich joined WFYI Radio and Television in Indianapolis as President and CEO. Greg was broadcasting from his bedroom before the word "teen" was associated with his name. In this conversation we consider the emergence of non-profit journalism nation wide as well as possible weaknesses in local business coverage and one-sided biographical documentaries.        

With a big smile--and a heart that extends to childhood hunger, Leukemia, and other societal needs--Dennis Southerland talks about construction planning and execution, taxes, encouraging African-American high school students to learn the lucrative profession of surveying, and even the annual football battle between Wabash and DePauw. Dennis is senior vice president of Cripe, an architecural and design firm in Indianapolis.

Composer, writer, critic, filmmaker, 19-year-old Ashton Gleckman is our guest today. Mr. Gleckman's powerful and sensitive film, "We Shall Not Die Now," won the 2019 Heartland International Film Festival Audience Choice Award, Indiana Spotlight.  The film has compelling interviews with Holocaust survivors.    

DO NOT LISTEN to this Podcast Unless you sincerely listen, for details, relationships in families, cost of education, income driven repayment, and how shopping at Aldis compares to seeking student financial aid. Our guest is William Wozniak, Vice President of In Vest Ed.  Believe us, please.  This conversation provide practical ideas for borrowers.  It is worth your time, and your effort.    

Delil Baran and Dylan Grunn join us spontaneously while visiting Indianapolis for the world premier of their movie, "Whelm." Arriving with their producer/ director/ writer Skyler Lawson (our immediately preceding interview), they chose to share about their craft, "living in the present," dealing with a persistently unknown future, and about their personal lives and studies.     

Skyler Lawson released his first feature-length film, Whelm, at The Heartland International Film Festival.   In this compelling interview, he talks about raising money, motivating cast and crew, the charm of a movie set in 1933 in his home town, Wabash, Indiana, and his goals for future productions.   Listeners will want to tune in to the next published interview with two of his actor/colleagues.  

Perhaps John Bloom may be called a second responder, one of thousands of Americans and hundreds of Hoosiers who voluntarily went to New York City to counsel persons suffering losses during 9-11. John spent ten days there.  He carries memories and feelings to this day.  

Ryan Vaughn heads The Indiana Sports Corporation that provides services throughout the state, including "Exchange," a web site on which sports directors and others exchange information and locate resources.  Another service, "Sports Indiana," is an association of community sports agencies in many cities and towns, all interested in creating sporting opportunities locally.   In Indianapolis, the corporation bids on major events, then manages those events.  

Indianapolis will inaugurate new service transportation in September, starting with a north/south route called the Red Line.   Bryan Luellen, Vice President of Public Affairs of IndyGo, tells all.  Parking, route selection, future routes, accessibility and more, are part of this timely conversation. 

Steve Spence of Indianapolis is president of The Society of American Magicians.  He also is a professional mediador, and active member of Kiwanis International. The craft of magic as well as required skills and business issues are covered in this podcast.  

Kit Williams directs preparation and management of the stage.  He is the manager who makes sure that directors of sound, light, and  trucks to carry their equipment, are in the right place at the right time. And here we learn about computer mice (mouses?) that direct robot lights and robot cameras, all from an invisible trailer behind the action.  The emergence of modern speakers that do not splash sound, but direct it, and the marvelous technology of roll up video screens are described here.

Phillip and his son operate Ramsey Pyrotechics in Frankfort, Indiana. He started voluntarily shooting shows, but then he learned that The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra wanted safe fireworks displays for The Fourth of July.  From there, word of mouth led the company to produce more than 70 shows a year. This conversation includes details of firework shell construction and launching.    

Diane Richards is an Indianapolis graphic designer whose early work was for Walt Disney.  She and her colleagues designed signs utilized in all the parks, including Tokyo and Paris.   Diane describes how projects start and how concepts evolve from draft, to model, to final installation. Diane also has designed signs around Indianapolis  

Artistic director, fund raiser and stellar professional pianist Clare Longendyke talks about the Music in Bloom festival, inaugurated this May in Bloomington, In., and in nearby Brown County State Park. The conversation includes her ideas and impressions of modern music, much including emerging technologies, as well as her love and admiration of living composers.   Clare will be an important contributor, hopefully all in central Indiana, for years to come.  Listen to her work as this podcast concludes.

Bill Clouse has been processing mortgages more than three decades.  He knows how borrowers qualify, how credit scores apply (even The Karma Score), background of The Big Short (a movie about the recession of 2007-2009), as well as how to deal with one of our hosts, Morton Marcus.    This recording opens with sounds of a haunted house.  Bill knows how to remove the fear.  

Angelo Pizzo (Hoosiers, and Rudy), raised two blocks from The Indiana University Basketball Arena, loves sports, films, and creativity.   He is working on three projects.  The first is about the Maynard (Iowa) girls championship basketball team of 1957.  Another is a coming of age romance set in The Civil War.  The last is about fire horses in 19th century New York City, all trained to overcome their aversion to fire.   The conversation includes writing for the stage, for film, and for radio, as well as his service as a board member of The Kinsey Institute. 

The enduring topic of vaccinations is covered in this conversation, and a new program is presented. The new program is an effort by The State of Indiana to provide counseling to pregnant women.  This program is proven to have reduced infant mortality.   (And Indiana is 7th among the states in infant mortality.)